Dangerous Passions
by Violet Goddess
Summary: dark and powerful they take what they want and Mina has just dragged Serena into their world. Sexual situation and violence. R/R
1. Chapter 1

Voila! My newest fic. :::dodges knives from readers::: ok so i SHOULD be updating my other fics but hey i really loved the idea for this fic and i am writing the next chapters for the others. This fic will have lots of the usual...steamy action, possessive, sexy darien...yum...and of course this is a serena/darien fic with a bit of the senshi thrown in but not really. this should actually turn out to be a longer fic with a lot of suspense and some interesting plot twists. enjoy and don't forget to review so i know what you think.  
  
oh and i checked and my editor checked and then i checked again but there may be some spelling or grammer errors.....you can ignore them or send me an email/ review and i will fix them.   
  
Dangerous Passions  
Violet Goddess  
Chapter 1  
  
She remembered the exact moment he'd told her just exactly what he was. At first she'd scoffed, a werewolf for Christ's sake! Who believed in werewolves past the age of eight? But once she got over her shock at his claim, she'd gotten angry. Furious, in fact, that someone would tell her such a bald-faced lie. Werewolf her ass! She'd gone to his home and had been in the process of shouting at him, calling him every foul name her mind could dredge up with when he'd drawn her into his living room and 'morphed.' It was the only way she could think of describing it. It was right out of some cheesy Hollywood horror movie. Well she'd done the only thing any sensible woman would do, she'd run screaming in the other direction. Unfortunately that whole being half wolf thing gives them the edge in speed. Kunizite had caught her before she'd taken two steps. Apparently morphing or whatever he wanted to call it could be done pretty quickly when the need arose.   
  
It had taken her some time to accept his....other half. Finding out your fiancé is a werewolf is not something one can just take in their stride. But she loved him and compared with the thought of her life would be without him, she found his wolfish nature wasn't such an insurmountable obstacle. Actually, compared with meeting his family watching the love of her life turn into a wolf had been a piece of cake  
  
Kunzite's family was unique to say the least, he was part wolf after all. His 'pack' was loyal to a fault and would do anything to protect one of their own. She learned quickly that if you attacked one of them, you attacked all of them. She was only meeting Kunzite's immediate pack today, his closest friends and their leader, Darien. This was the all the information he would give her as he herded her towards their living room. She was nervous as she walked into their comfortable living room, but whatever she had expected to see it was not to see ten men lounging about, looking as though they would be comfortable no matter the situation. They ranged from light to dark, blonde to black hair but each one was, without exception, an exquisite male specimen. Mina's jaw dropped to the floor as she took in that little fact. It was then that she noticed the growling coming from Kunzite.  
  
Apparently that wolf part of him was a mite possessive and didn't like her in the company of so many other males, even if they were his family. With a start she realized what was so off about the group, there wasn't a single woman among the group of people sitting in her living room.  
  
"Umm, honey, I don't mean to be rude or anything but if this is your family then where are all the women?" Mina couldn't help the blush that stole across her face at suddenly being the center of attention. Admittedly she loved the spot light but each of these men seemed so focused. As if whatever they were looking at captivated their undivided attention. It was slightly disconcerting.  
  
"Well that's part of why I wanted you to meet my pack. Umm well you see....err."  
  
"What he's trying so unsuccessfully to say is that there aren't any women here because they are so scarce."   
  
"Thanks Jedite." Kunzite muttered with a glare.  
  
"Most pups that our women have are males." One of the men put in, the rich timbre of his voice was sensual and smooth and seemed to fit the dark atmosphere of the room. Mina blushed at her thoughts especially since she could barely make him out. Only half of his face was illuminated by the flickering fire burning so cheerily in the hearth, the rest of the his face lay in the shadows that seemed to swallow the room.   
  
"Some kind of evolutionary defense is all we could think of." Kunzite's voice snapped out of her blatant perusal of the man and Mina was suddenly glad for the limited light to hide her embarrassment.   
  
"We have a violent nature,"chimed in another of the men. His hair was light brown as it flowed past his shoulders. It should have looked feminine but on him it seemed to only highlight his masculinity. "With the nearly constant battles we fight against each other and outside threats, having more males simply equaled survival."  
  
"But after a few generations there develops a lack of females and thus a lack of mates to produce pups and we face extinction." Kunzite finished quietly.   
  
It all seemed to make such perfect sense to them but Mina was both confused and a little skeptical. Everything she had learned about Darwinian science and evolution said that a race's females were the most important thing it had. Females produced the next generation and without them the race faced extinction. It was a simple equation and yet these men were telling her their race had survived and even thrived, for only God knew how long, with a decided proportion of their births being male. The numbers just didn't add up. It would only take say five or so generations for their species to die out if even only a small percentage of the births leaned towards male.  
  
"So you mate with humans?"  
  
"Well sort of." Kunzite was hedging again and Mina felt frustration start to bubble up.  
  
"What do you mean 'sort of?' Just get on and explain it!" Kunzite looked taken aback at her outburst but Mina didn't care. It never occurred to her that his wolf instinct was to force his mate into submission and that her display of defiance before his pack would challenge his status, she probably wouldn't have cared at that moment anyway.  
  
"Humans aren't genetically compatible with us." The words flowed out in a husky timber from the far corner of the room. Mina swung about an angry curse hovering on her lips. But it died a silent death when she met the vivid blue eyes that stared out at her from the deep shadows that seemed to be swept around him like a cloak. "Well most humans aren't."  
  
"Normally no children could come from a union between our two species, but we've found over the centuries that there are few humans who carry a recessive gene that makes them compatible with us." Kunzite had switched into his 'scientist of the century' mode again and Mina inwardly groaned. She could almost feel her eyes glaze over in boredom but she knew it was no good to try and stop him and so just let him continue on. "It changes the human's chemistry slightly and they are able to accept the combination of our two different genetic status. It's only present in females but it cannot be passed onto any children the pair produce, unfortunately, as our genes are more dominate." An 'ah' at the end of his explanation was Mina's only reactions until everything suddenly connected.  
  
"And I'm one of these people? I have this recessive gene?" Mina could feel her heart crashing at her feet. She loved Kunzite and until that moment she had believed without a shadow of a doubt that he loved her too, but what if he had only married her because she could have his children. It was a crushing blow and one she was likely to kill him for, she realized as the anger flooded through her veins.  
  
"Mina sweetheart it's not like that." He said as he read the look on her face and barely stopped himself from taking a step back, she was fighting mad. "There still has to be chemistry between the two of us, love. There has to be love between us. I didn't marry you because you could give me children sweetheart, I would have married you either way."  
  
Swallowing past the lump lodged in her throat, Mina stared at her husband, her gaze sliding softly across the loved planes of his face. She knew she could either believe him, believe the man she loved and had married would not lie to her or walk out the door right now, leaving everything behind her. There could be no half way with this. Taking a deep breath Mina stared at Kunzite, read the love there and knew he was telling the truth.  
  
"Ok, so how do you find people like me? I mean you obviously can't put an ad in the paper or go around swiping people's medical files, can you?" She felt Kunzite's arms slip around her waist as she regarded the males lying with such casual readiness around her living room. Inwardly she smiled, Kunzite was showing that possessive streak again.  
  
"Your smell, it's different from other females, more distinct." The one with light brown hair explained as he eyed Kunzite who had begun to absentmindedly nuzzling her neck. Shrugging off her affectionate husband Mina stared at the man in amazement.  
  
"Smell? I smell different from other women of my species?" A dark glint appeared in his eyes at the question and Mina took a step back, as Kunzite starting growling again. Mina could already tell this whole "alpha male" thing was going to get old real fast.  
  
"Most definitely. You're scent is....sweeter, I suppose is a good way to describe it." A small smile curved his lips as he watched her discomfort, seeming to find it as amusing as Kunzite's territorial posturing.  
  
"Stop it Nephrite, you're only antagonizing Kunzite and wasting our time." Came that now familiar voice as blue eyes locked with hers, a hint of amusement sparkling in the husky depths. "Now-" A sudden knocking cut the conversation short as everyone stared at each other in momentary confusion before Mina jumped.  
  
"It's the door." She said lamely, feeling foolish for staring like an idiot as the persistent knocking continued. "Stay here while I get it. I don't think we need to scare the hell out of whoever is visiting with a room full of werewolves, no matter how human you look." A few smiles were her only response as she made her way towards the door.  
  
Mina hadn't a clue who could be coming to visit, she and Kunzite lived fairly well out in the country specifically for the privacy it afforded. Neither she nor Kunzite liked the confined spaces of the city this elegant Victorian house out in the middle of nowhere had seemed perfect. She supposed now that his dislike of the city made more sense. Smiling Mina opened the door only to have her jaw drop in surprise.  
  
"Serena!" Mina promptly enveloped the petit blonde in a crushing hug.   
  
"And hello to you too Mina." A sunny laugh echoed off the walls and Mina sighed quietly at the light her friend was already bringing with her.   
  
"Come in Serena, come in. So what brings y-" The sudden hand gripping her arm tightly interrupted Mina's chatter. She turned to find a disturbed Kunzite holding her arm, trying to herd her into the next room with little success.  
  
"Darling, can I speak to you for a moment." Confusion was reigning supreme at the moment, right behind annoyance at her husband for stopping her from greeting her friend, but she decided it was probably better not to berate her husband at the moment.  
  
"Serena just hang you coat up over there,"she nodded in a the general direction behind her, "and I'll be right back." With a smile of apology Mina followed her restless husband down the hall.  
  
"Ok now we are in the kitchen, mind telling me why you just dragged me away from welcoming my best friend, whom I haven't seen in months, since our wedding if I recall, into our house?" Mina was tapping her foot impatiently as she stared at her husband. Strangely he didn't seem at all sorry about his actions, in fact he looked worried, almost panicked.  
  
"Mina you've got to get her out of here!" Kunzite rushed out, his eyes darting to the kitchen door as if expecting someone to come bursting in at any moment.  
  
"What are you talking about Kunzite? You aren't making any sense." Mina was worried now, Kunzite was never like this. He was always cool and collected, always kept his head in any situation and here he was practically ranting.  
  
"She can't stay here."   
  
"What the hell do you mean she can't stay here?! She's like a sister to me and I will be damned if I won't let her into my home." Rage flowed over each clipped word.   
  
"You don't understand Mina, she CAN'T stay here."   
"Why the hell not? Give me one good reason why I should turn away the one person who has been my family? The one person who has supported me time and again. One damn reason, Kunzite, just one!"   
  
Kunzite stared at his wife in annoyance and anger but also with a grudging bit of pride. She was a hellcat when she was defending those she cared about and there wasn't anyone she cared about more than her family, namely Serena. Kunzite had only met her once, at their wedding but it had been enough to make him realize why Mina loved her so much. Serena was the kind of person who would give you her last dollar to help you just because that was who she was.   
The two girls had met in the foster care system. Being jostled from home to home was something that few people could walk away from unscarred and so the two girls had banned together. Mina had told him of the leaky and cold shelters and the loveless homes the girls had been shuffled too. They weren't always placed together but the social workers quickly found out that one girl or the other would run away from their foster home to find her "sister." They were sisters in a way that ran deeper than any bloodline. They'd shared horror and tears together and there was nothing on this earth they wouldn't do for the other.   
  
It was something few people would understand but Kunzite did, he understood it and that's why it was killing him to tell Mina to turn away her. But Serena could not stay there. He had dragged Mina into his world; he couldn't let the woman she regarded as her sister to be dragged down as well.   
  
"Damn it Mina you know why. She's like you, I can sense it. That's one of the reasons you two formed a pack. Like calls to like." The news stunned her for a moment and he realized she'd never suspected, never had even an inkling of suspicion but then he saw her jaw set and her shoulders square and inwardly groaned. This wasn't going to be easy.  
  
"She stays." Mina azure eyes flashed with defiance as Kunzite reached out to placate her. God when had making this defiant, troublesome woman happy become the most important thing in the world to him? Sighing he admitted to himself that it had happened as soon as she stormed into his life like the tornado she was.   
  
"They'll claim her Mina. Mark her and then claim her just like I did you." At his words Mina seemed to waiver for the first time. She'd never considered that Serena being claimed was a possibility, it seemed so remote that she had never really given the worry any credence.   
  
"How can you be sure they even CAN claim he? She may not be able to be a mate. You told me the chances of finding a compatible human mate were one in a million. How do you know Serena is that one?"   
Sighing Kunzite wrapped Mina in his arms, her cheek resting against his chest. He could feel the fear and despair edging through her body. She didn't want her sister trapped into a life she had no say in.   
  
"I knew when I met her at our wedding. I could smell it in her blood, faint though it was. She smells like you. Any of the pack would know if she came within ten feet of them. She could be a mate, she could have children." Pulling back Mina stared at her husband, sorrow and confusion shining in her eyes.   
  
"Isn't that what you want though? She could be a mate to someone in your pack, carry on your line." Kunzite's felt his chest tighten at his wife's stricken expression and only pulled her close to him.  
"Of course, I want nothing more than for my family to have mates, for my species to have pups but I can't ask you to bring your sister into this world." Kissing her lemon yellow hair gently he spoke softly, desperately trying to make her understand before it was to late. "Mina I gave you a choice." He only tightened his hold on her when he felt her try to pull back to question him. "If you hadn't loved me I would have let you go and said to hell with everything else, they won't let her go. Things are worse than when I met you, several of our females died in childbirth and too many males are banding together against the established groups, trying to steal other men's mates."   
  
"They would claim her whether she wanted a mate or not?" Kunzite flinched slightly at her tear-filled voice. Shame welled up inside him that what he spoke was nothing more than simple truth but truth it was and it would accomplish nothing to hide from it.  
  
"They would claim her, fight to claim her."   
  
"Dear God we have to get her out of here." Mina's frantic declaration was the only thing to fill the suddenly ominous silence.  
  
* * *  
Serena could only smile as she watched fiery Mina be dragged down the hall by Kunzite. Those two certainly made an interesting couple but she had to admit she had never seen her friend so happy. Kunzite had swept her off her feet and after only two months of dating they had gotten married. Serena had been in Maine at the time, working odd jobs and just soaking up life in New England. Cold was the one word that seemed to exemplify it. She'd made it to the wedding though, a simple ceremony with only a few close friends. Neither had had any close relatives to invite though Kunzite had made a few vague references to some close friends who couldn't attend.   
  
Shrugging it off Serena went in search of the coat closet. Mina had only been living in her "quant little farm house" as she so affectionately termed her mammoth Victorian house, for a few weeks. Seeing no obvious closet doors she set off down in the opposite direction Mina had gone. After smashing into several pictures and trying several different doors Serena had found the parlor, a study and even the bathroom but no coat closet. Muttering about someone turning on the lights somewhere she found herself before two double sliding doors, heavy oak like everything else in the house. Saying a prayer that there was a coat closet, or at least a map to this place in there Serena slid them open.  
  
An expansive living room greeted her but it was the occupants that gave her the shock. A number of men lounged about, looking for the world like there was nothing that might surprise them and yet one could feel the slight tension humming through the room. That tension fairly exploded as they, almost as one, noticed her. All eyes turned to her, seeming to take in every aspect of her in that single glance. It was unnerving and Serena found she couldn't meet any single person's stare.  
  
"Umm don't suppose you know where the coat closet is?" She asked with a tight smile and could almost see every body tense in reaction. Serena was confused and disconcerted. Something was going on in this room that she didn't understand and so decided that retreat was the best option.  
  
"Well I didn't mean to interrupt, so I'll be off to continue the hunt." She finished lamely but no one replied, no even made the slightest sound. Stepping back she nearly slammed into Kunzite.  
  
"Serena what are you doing here?" His gaze flew from her to the men in the room several times, as if trying to gauge her reaction, or theirs.  
  
"Got lost looking for the coat closet. You know Mina and her directions." She felt a little more at ease now that Kunzite was here. These were obviously his friends and even if there was something going on between him he would let her escape this bizarre situation.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us Kunzite?" The words were cold, no emotion colored them and yet Serena shivered at the underlying threat even she could read there.  
  
"Leave her out of this, she's Mina's sister and one is enough."  
  
"Damn it Kunzite you knew! You knew and yet you told no one! She could be a mate for one of us and help our race and you told no one." This from a man with tawny hair and light green eyes. He had jumped up in the middle of his speech, his eyes flashing with anger and his body tensed as if ready to attack. Oh yes it was time for her to go.  
  
"Kunzite, I'm going to go find Mina. I'll uhhh leave you with your friends." With that she made to leave only to slam into a hard chest. Stumbling in shock she reflexively looked up and found herself staring into the most extraordinary pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. Misty and dark they seemed to seize her and she felt frozen in place, and then he smiled. Gleaming white teeth were revealed and still he didn't move, and neither did she though they were standing absurdly close. She heard a savage curse behind her but she couldn't drag her eyes away from the man in front of her.   
  
His skin, bronzed by the sun, stood in stark contrast to the impeccable white shirt and black suit he wore. He looked so completely perfect, the epitome of masculine beauty and he was staring at her as if he wanted to devour her. Suddenly his smile slipped away and he stared behind her, that menacing tone reappearing and she knew he was the man who had first spoken.  
  
"She's mine."  
  
* * *  
:::sigh::: sexy Darien. could just dip him in honey. yeah so i fixate, oh well. so leave me a reivew to tell me if you like this story or if i should even continue you it. i don't write if nobody's reading. :) 


	2. Chapter 2

Well look at this, i'm actually updating a story. i was amazed at the huge response i got from this fic.  
I got over a 100 reviews for just the first chapter...hmm someone likes mr. possessive Darien :)   
yes, to all of you who have been emailing me, i still remember my other fics. they are suffering minor neglect  
at the moment. right now i am working on this fic, hoping to get it along at a resonable rate...hey people   
i'm taking college courses at the moment, sort of sucks the life right out you.   
  
MAILINING LIST: hmm this is becoming a bit redundant but people keep asking me about it so the notices   
will keep going up :) yes i have a mailing list and if you would like to join send me an email saying you would   
like to join my sailor moon mailing list. please state the genre because i have a kenshin mailing list too.  
  
email: bright_eyes_844@yahoo.com (i usually answer every email because if you can take the time to write me,   
i can take the time to write you back.)  
  
check out the notes at the bottom before you email me, thanks!  
  
Sorry for any formatting errors my computer hates me and likes to find ways to irrtate me and decided  
it didn't feel like formatting anything.   
  
Leave all comments in the box and know i love reviews...it's my motivation to write because..  
.:::Drumroll please:::: i don't write if nobody's reading. ahh threats aren't they great? :) On with the show!  
Dangerous Passions  
Violet Goddess  
Chapter2  
"She's mine."  
  
Such a simple statement, a primitive picture of blood and fire, of sex and magic to  
be spoken in the blackest hours of night, beneath a canopy of distant stars. A singular  
declaration that reeked of instinct and possession. In two simple words Serena had been  
claimed, possessed by a man who would never release her. A man, whose voice had been  
cold, cutting like jagged glass through the silent air, echoing off strangely modern walls  
like liquid fire. He was ruthless, a dangerous and powerful man, who, in that moment of  
tense possession, no man would have challenged.   
  
Darien felt the world still around him as the silence lengthened endless. Every  
breath taken was rough and uneasy, fraught with morbid anticipation. But none of it  
mattered to him, let them worry, they should. This one girl was his salvation and theirs.  
The irony of one small girl being their savior brought a mirthless smile to his sensually full  
lips. It seemed fate, did indeed, have a sense of humor.  
  
God he was beautiful. Blue eyes, like ice stared beyond her, untouchably frozen  
and hard like the man himself. She wasn't troubled by this as she would normally have  
been, instead she felt her blood fire and boil at the unspoken challenge. Could she make  
those steely eyes smolder with anger or passion or even....desire? Could she make this  
man, who she instinctively knew valued control above all else, lose all thought of restraint?  
Surprise flickered through her at the thoughts sliding so easily through her mind, thoughts  
of blatant seduction. She suddenly felt like Eve thrust before the serpent and all his  
temptations. But some wicked part of her reveled in the forbidden ideas placed before her  
and asked over and over if this man could be tamed? And indeed would she even want him  
tamed or wild and dark like the night itself? A shiver of something akin to anticipation  
snaked up her spine at the thought of finding out.  
  
"Serena?" Kunzite's wary voice pulled Serena reluctantly back from her hazy  
musings. She wondered briefly why his voice held a note of caution, as if danger might  
spring from the very shadows around them, but then the thought dissolved as she focused  
once more on the tension filled room. She nearly groaned in annoyance at once again  
being forced into a situation that was so clearly volatile. It was obvious that the strained  
atmosphere was simply awaiting a catalyst before it turned into something darker, more  
violent. The last thing Serena wanted to do at the moment was deal with several men with  
too much testosterone, no matter how sexy or mysterious they were.  
  
  
Serena met Kunzite's stare and was shocked to find his eyes all at once impatient  
and...remorseful? A nervous foreboding knife through her, what would he have to be  
regretful about that concerned her?   
  
"Kunzite I think I should go." Her raspy voice slid easily through the dark room, only to  
cause each man to recoil abruptly, as if wounded.  
  
He knew from the confusion spreading across her delicate features that she didn't  
understand what her husky words had done to them, to him. Her throaty voice, soft and  
hesitant, had wrapped around him like hot silk, burning his skin and setting his body on  
fire. It was seduction itself in the very fact that it indicated her arousal. She stood there,  
exquisitely vulnerable and unclaimed; a female readying to mate in a room filled with  
males. Smells and sounds assaulted his sensitive senses; the soft scent of roses mixed with  
the tantalizing musky scent of her body, the sound of clothing sliding against bare skin,  
heaving against perfect breasts. The picture was so clear in his mind that he was helpless  
to stop himself from hardening painfully and he knew it was the same for each of the other  
men. The combination of a female and so many males was explosive. Restraint was, even  
now, wearing thin, dissolving under the urging of ancient instincts.   
  
This was the time Darien must defend his claim, prove he could protect his mate,  
force her submission. For though these men were his pack, his family, they would take his  
mate if he showed any weakness. They were males who had been looking for a mate all  
their lives, in a time when women were scarce and here stood a beautiful woman capable  
of bearing them pups. Everything in them was demanding they claim her for themselves  
for though Darien had made a preliminary claim, Serena was not his until he marked and  
mated with her. Until that time she could be taken from him and Darien would know an  
unending fear.  
  
Blue eyes narrowed slowly, a predatory gleam surfacing as Darien assessed Serena  
boldly, his gaze sliding easily down sensuous curves. Long curls glowed like molten gold  
in the firelight, sliding across milky skin almost erotically. She was petite but well formed  
with high, thrusting breast and an impossibly tiny waist that Darien was certain he could  
span with his hands. His intent perusal ended at gently curving hips that narrowed to  
slender, shapely legs peeking from just beneath her calf length skirt. She was beautiful,  
tempting, and his.   
  
Serena. Her name whispered softly through his mind, a siren's lure. That's what  
Kunzite had called her and with her smoky blue eyes and delicate body the name seemed  
to fit. But Darien couldn't help but wonder if the woman beneath that flawless exterior  
wasn't a bit more volatile. He smiled at the thought of finding out.  
  
"No, Kunzite, I think I should leave now." The simple statement snapped all of Darien's  
attention to Serena instantly. He realized, in annoyance, that she and Kunzite had been  
talking for some time while he had been lost in staring at her. His body tensed abruptly as  
he realized she wanted to leave. A sharp need emerged, a dominate prowess that  
demanded she not leave his sight, his protection.   
  
She wasn't going anywhere.  
  
"I think you should stay." His voice was sharp steel, a command from one used to being  
obeyed. Who was this man who so reeked of power and authority? He was one of those  
men who just seemed to command obedience, respect no matter the situation and yet there  
was something more. Ruthless power. That was how she would have described him. He  
stood there so casually and yet he seemed almost dangerous, as if he had a leashed  
violence simmering inside him, something dark and possessive and yet a part of him. It  
was both exciting and frightening at the same time. A fleeting voice whispered teasingly at  
the back of her mind to be wary of him, but it was like playing with fire, forbidden and yet  
she couldn't draw back from the flames.  
  
"No." Serena nearly laughed at the shocked expression that crossed his face. Obviously  
this man was not used to anyone, let alone a woman, telling him no. But humor seemed  
almost misplaced here as she watched his eyes darken to nearly black in anger and his  
body tense. No this man did not like to be contradicted.  
  
Darien stared at her, anger and fury riding him hard as the primitive part of him,  
the wolf, demanded submission, obedience from its mate. He felt each man in the room  
eyeing him with unguarded interest and silent judgment. He could not let her challenge of  
defiance go unanswered, both his pack and the feral part of him demanded action.   
  
He smiled darkly when he saw her eyes widen in shock as he stepped towards her  
threateningly. He would never hurt or mistreat her but at this moment he could warn her  
with empty, but intimidating threats. Her small body shook slightly as she tilted her head  
back severely to met his gaze, her golden hair swaying softly against her back. And then  
amazingly her eyes meet his and he knew she wasn't afraid of him. She knew what he  
knew, that he could never hurt her.  
  
Darien was so stunned by this realization that he could only stare blankly at her  
and that was exactly what Serena had been hoping for. He was so used to using his brawn  
to push others around that he didn't know what to do when someone didn't fall at his feet  
and plea for mercy. With a triumphant smile Serena skirted him, deftly avoiding Kunzite's  
meager attempt to stop her, he seemed just as stunned as the blue-eyed man. It was odd,  
this connection she felt to this man and she was only now realizing that she didn't even  
know his name. Funny, it didn't really seem all that important.  
  
* * *  
  
If Serena had known the turmoil she left brewing in that dark, smoky room behind  
her she might have let that bright smile slip from that angelic face of hers, Kunzite thought  
grimly. He stared after her, wishing he could make such a painless exit, but he knew he  
had some explaining to do and some tempers to cool. Meeting Darien's icy glare, Kunzite  
took a deep breath, resigned to the argument to come. This was going to be a long day.  
  
* * *  
  
Feeling strangely lighthearted despite the strange and intense situation she had  
already been thrown into today Serena headed towards kitchen and the lure of a cup of  
hot, strong coffee. Thankfully the kitchen was easier to find, considering it was the only  
room she had yet to check on the first floor. The smoke darkened door swung open to  
reveal an anxious Mina chewing her on already decimated nails in worry. Steam from her  
coffee swirled easily around her friend's pale face as Serena stepped into the antique  
kitchen and was enveloped in smells of baking bread and the lingering scent of bacon.   
  
"Uh oh." Serena muttered. Mina's head jerked up at her friend's voice and she visibly  
sagged with relief when she saw Serena, coat and all, standing calmly in her kitchen.  
  
"What's going on Mina? You never, ever cook unless you're worried about something. So  
spill, now."   
  
"Why do you still have you're coat?"  
  
"Because you apparently don't have a coat closet? And don't try to change the subject,  
what's wrong?" Mina twisted her hands nervously as she motioned Serena to sit across  
the table from her, trying to find a way to tell Serena that she had to leave before she ran  
into any of Kunzite's pack.  
  
"Well, umm you see I...."   
  
"Does his have anything to do with Kunzite's meeting in the living room?" Mina's reaction  
was swift and violent, she turned sheet white and stared at Serena in horror.  
  
"The living room? You were in the living room?" Her voice was no more than a squeak  
and Serena frowned in concern. What was wrong with Mina?  
  
"Yeah the living room. With several men who were all drop dead gorgeous and s-"  
  
"Shit!" Serena started at Mina's sudden outburst wondering what the hell was going on.  
Was Mina afraid she had made a bad impression or offended some of Kunzite's  
acquaintances? It hurt to think Mina could think that of her.  
  
"Serena are you a virgin?"   
  
"What?!"   
  
"Are you a virgin?" Mina's voice was laced with what Serena would have called  
desperation, if she hadn't known her friend so well.  
  
"Where the hell did that come from?!" Serena didn't know whether to be shocked or  
offended or angry. It was just so random a question and yet personal in a way she and  
Mina hadn't been since they'd stopped living together.  
  
"Damn it Serena just answer the question!"  
  
"I'm 25 years old, Mina, what the hell do you think?"  
  
Serena winced as Mina's head slammed against the table with a painful thud andher friend began to mutter  
"damn" over and over.  
  
"Mina I don't want to be rude but what the hell is going on with you?"  
  
As Mina opened her mouth to answer, to tell her friend that her whole life was  
going to be taken over and turned upside down and it was Mina's fault, raised voices  
reached the cozy kitchen. A frustrated groan escaped instead, as they both realized the  
angry shouting was coming from the living room. That room just seemed cursed today  
didn't it?  
  
"God what now?!" Storming off in a huff of indignant rage, Mina left without a backward  
glance and Serena couldn't help but pity anyone who got in her path.  
  
With a sigh of relief at finally being alone Serena grabbed the biggest mug she  
could find, grimacing at the swirl of pink flowers scattered across the manila surface. Pink  
flowers in the morning? That was just plain wrong. A sigh of pure bliss escaped as the  
smell of roasted coffee beans surrounded her. She had been driving since the early hours  
of the morning to get in hopes of surprising Mina with a visit. They hadn't seen each other  
since Mina's wedding and had lost contact while Serena traveled across New England.  
  
Staring idly out the large windows that provided a breathtaking view of the woods  
that surrounded Mina's home, Serena felt her mind wander lazily. It was still early, the  
morning chill leaving a bite in the air as the sunlight broke from behind wispy cloud. It was  
the epitome of a early winter day.   
  
A sudden movement on the edge of the tree line jerked Serena back to reality. It  
was to far away to see if it was anything more than a stray animal but something seemed  
wrong. A flash of black several feet further right and Serena found herself pressed against  
the cold glass to try and make out any other movements. Was someone trespassing on  
Mina and Kunzite's property? They were in the middle of nowhere, so who could have  
just stumbled onto their land?  
  
When after several minutes nothing else occurred, Serena backed away from the  
window feeling foolish for being afraid of what was probably only a deer or a squirrel.  
Shaking her head slowly Serena wondered if Mina would like the gift she'd brought. She'd  
been in a small Canadian fishing village when she'd seen the painting. A picture of roiling  
seas raging against a single, small boat that was struggling to prevail against gods and  
nature alike. Some might have thought painting depressing, a symbol of fate, but Serena  
had been drawn to the thin line of blue that broke the very edge of the horizon. It was  
titled "Redemption."   
  
Anxious to see Mina's reaction and also hoping to avoid the situation in the living  
room a little longer, Serena made her way through the massive Victorian house. She felt  
like some `50 spy as she tiptoed past the living room doors and out the front door, smiling  
at the absurdity of sneaking out of her best friend's house.  
  
The graveled drive crushed softly beneath her feet as she made her way to her  
small, dusty car. It might not have been pretty or new or run all the time but it was hers.  
She'd paid for it on her own and had had it forever, dragging it across the country,  
through blizzards and deserts. Rummaging through the back seat for the small parcel that  
contained the painting Serena never heard anyone approach. No gravel crunching or  
clothing rustling not even heavy breathing. No it was all of the hairs on the back of her  
neck suddenly standing on end that warned her.  
  
Standing up sharply she found her back plastered against a very muscular chest.  
  
"Well hello." A deep voice rumbled. Warm breath fanned against her check as a callused  
hand slid across her waist. Serena felt a spark of electricity sizzle through her body at the  
boldly intimate touch. "And what are you doing out here all alone, hmmm?" She could feel  
his mouth skim the delicate skin of her ear, his silky hair sliding against her neck as he  
spoke. Unwillingly her body relaxed against his, pliant and soft, as his hand skillfully  
caressed her stomach with light, sensual strokes.  
  
Everything seemed hazy as she leaned against a hard body, turning slightly to see  
two deep blue eyes staring back at her, amusement and arousal flaring in their depths.  
Who was he? Was he another of Kunzite's guests? Or perhaps a friend of that mysterious  
man in the living room? She never thought to break his hold, never thought to pull away  
as he leaned down slowly. His mouth was wide, sensual in a way few men's were, making  
her tremble at the thought of them touching her skin. Starkly male eyes trained on hers he  
touched his lips to her, softly at first and then more demandingly, as if the taste of her was  
intoxicating, exotic.   
  
And then she felt him tense. His head lifted from hers to stare accusingly at the  
house as if it was his enemy. Serena lay dazed in his arms, her eyes misty and dark, her lips  
swollen from his kiss. A small sigh escaped her and he turned back to her, a soft smile  
across his perfect mouth as he kissed her quickly once more. And then he was gone as if  
he had never been there.  
  
* * *  
  
Mina watched Darien's head snap up, his nostrils flair and his head turn slowly  
towards the door. And then he was gone. Mina blinked several times at the feat. What the  
hell was happening? She had been trying to stop the others from continuing the fight her  
husband when Darien had suddenly frozen as had the others, all eyes trained on Darien's  
imposing form. Then he had simply vanished, the others following just as quickly. Now  
here she stood with an unconscious Kunzite at her feet and an empty room around her.  
  
* * *  
  
He was going to kill him! Slowly. Painfully. And enjoy every damn minute of it.  
Black fury rode Darien hard as he raced towards Serena and the other who was with her.   
  
"Seiya." The name tasted bitter on his lips as he told the others who had dared to trespass  
on their land, who had dared to touch his mate. A low, deadly growl rumbled in his chest  
as he burst from the house, claws forming as the beast in him tried to break free, enraged  
that someone threatened its mate.   
  
He found her standing in a daze next to a small red car, covered in dust and  
looking as though it might fall apart at the slightest touch. She was staring off into space,  
her face flushed and her body covered in another's scent. Another growl erupted from his  
throat at the insult as jealousy raged through him. How dare she let another touch her?!  
His body trembled in anger as he reached her, pulling her roughly against his chest.  
Abruptly her eyes cleared and she was staring at him in confusion and embarrassment.  
  
"What just happened?"   
  
Just as before Serena felt no awkwardness in being held in a man's arms when she  
had always felt so before. She felt a rising passion in her that threatened to wash over her  
like a tidal wave, destroying all she was before. It was terrifying and thrilling all at once  
and she hated herself for feeling that way. Was she turning into a woman who wanted  
nothing more, thought of nothing more than sex? She looked into this man's eyes, so dark  
blue and burning with a strange fire and felt herself drown.  
  
"What's happening to me?" Her voice so vulnerable and childlike cooled Darien's anger  
slightly, letting him realize what Seiya had done to her, how he'd manipulated her. But the  
scent of another man covered her skin and the wolf in him howled in fury, it needed to  
stake its claim now! Dragging her closer he crushed his mouth against her, tasting her  
deeply. She lay against him strangely docile and he rejoiced for he knew this meant their  
bond would be strong. Her passions were changing, growing and would continue to grow  
the longer she was near him. She would turn to fire once their bond was set but now he  
knew she was still unsure, unbalanced as new sensations bombarded her.  
  
They had to talk and soon. She had to be told what was happening to her and what  
was going to happen. She was his mate and her body knew it in a primitive way that lovers  
had since the beginning of time. Now if he could only get her heart to understand.  
  
* * *  
  
Seiya watched Darien pull the girl close to him, staring at her angrily. But then he  
seemed to calm at her words only to crush her against him and take her mouth almost  
savagely. Seiya tensed in impotent rage. So Darien thought to claim the woman as a mate.  
  
Seiya had caught her scent as he scouted Kunzite's land, wondering how protected  
his new mate was. The simple, sweet fragrance had drawn him like a moth to a flame. And  
then he'd seen her. All golden hair and milky skin, leaning precariously against her car as  
she searched for something. He'd meant only to watch her, but suddenly he found himself  
standing behind her. He hadn't been able to stop himself, going to her as if his body were  
not his own.   
  
Suddenly she had been in his arms and nothing had ever felt so sweet. He closed  
his eyes, savoring the ecstasy of holding her so close, of taking her mouth with his. She  
tasted like heaven and had responded with helpless passion. He'd been fast losing control  
as he drowned in the taste, the scent of her. If he hadn't sensed Darien approaching he  
didn't know what he would have done. He might have taken her right there, standing up  
before God and the world.  
  
So Darien meant to claim her, did he? Seiya smiled cruelly. He might intend to  
claim her but he hadn't yet, he'd only awakened the girl's passions. He nearly groaned at  
the remembered feel of her skin against his, of her sweetly innocent response to him. He  
now knew that he and the girl were compatible, their chemistry was strong.   
  
She would be his and Darien would lose the one thing he'd ever wanted.   
  
* * * *  
Note: Because i am an evil, evil author and i can warp the sm universe at will i am making Seiya a man,  
all rugged and everything. ugh i sound like a valley girl(i feel as if i should giggle about now) seiya is not   
a woman despite what my editor has been telling me, hmm i think someone might be biased against seiya.   
  
also please don't email telling me the word "the" in the fourth paragraph is misspelled or whatever the case may   
be. i'm all for correct spelling and grammer but honestly it takes a lot of time to write and edit and this is as good   
as it's getting at the moment. it's too time consuming to fix errors and then upload the chapter all over again....  
so just take and errors with a pinch of salt and enjoy the story.  
  
and finally...leave me some reviews of what you think. My kingdom for fanmail! yes i know i'm horribly mutilating   
shakespeare for those of you who caught that quote, for everyone else....i like reviews! 


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